Death isn't the end of life, it's the completion of life
by Ricky Otaku
Summary: Kouko struggles to understand her feeling for Suzu, thanks to her religious background, while Suzu has totally different reasons for her struggles.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi there! Here's a Suzu X Kouko fanfic, since there's barely any about them and I think they have a great potential together. There's some reference to Koakuma no Riddle 7 so I suggest you read it first (yeah, KnR 7 in English is finally available!). I hope you'll like it ^^**

* * *

"Um, Shutou...you're too close…"

"Oh, am I?" Suzu replied with a sly smile.

Kouko had the surprise to discover Suzu on top of her when she woke up. Their faces were so close, it was rather uncomfortable for Kouko. But she couldn't help but find Suzu's eyes pretty with their golden colour.

"Y-Yes, you are. What are you doing? Go back to your own futon," Kouko said.

"Ah, should I remind you that both are technically mine? After all, this is my house."

Kouko sighed. It was true, yet it felt wrong. After she had escaped from her organization, Kouko ended up injured and had collapsed on top of a grave. Turns out this grave belonged to an old friend of Suzu, who happened to visit it this day. Since then, Kouko was staying at Suzu's house, an old-looking house that seemed to have been popular back in the day, the kind of house grandparents have. Suzu had been the one who took care of her wounds, Kouko was really grateful to her for all she did to her. Still, it didn't allow her to invade her privacy like that.

"Shutou, why are you...always teasing me like that? It's almost like you're acting as if you were my lover or something."

"Well, we're living together, it's almost like we're a couple, no?"

"Absolutely not!"

Suzu looked surprised by how harsh Kouko's voice was. Kouko felt a little bit bad, she didn't want to look mad. She wasn't. Just confused and a little bit annoyed.

"I mean, we're both girls, it's not like it was possible to begin with…"

"And why's that?" Suzu interrupted, looking strangely serious, as she sat next to her.

Kouko suddenly felt uncomfortable. She felt like she had said something she shouldn't have. Yet, she didn't know why, she didn't think that there was something wrong with what she said.

"Well, aren't romantic relationships with someone of the same sex a sin? That's what I had been told since I'm a kid, that it was ungodly and sinful," Kouko replied.

"Right, you came from a religious orphanage. I know that religion and homosexuality often don't mix well. From where I came from, homosexuality was viewed badly too. It was even illegal. So it took me a while before being able to fully assume my sexuality."

"Uh, from what kind of place do you come from? And...what? You...you're gay?"

"Bi. Remember the grave? It belongs to my past lover, a man. It took me a while to discover I like women too."

Kouko felt like the weather was warmer suddenly. What Suzu told her didn't disgust her, but it felt strange. Kind of abnormal. But some part of Kouko felt somewhat relieved.

"So you aren't joking around with all your innuendo, you...do you like me?" Kouko asked as her heart was now racing.

It took a certain time for Suzu to answer.

"Yes, I like you, Kouko-chan."

"As...as a friend?"

"Probably not."

"I see…"

Kouko wasn't able to find anything intelligent to say, so she just ended up saying something not so smart.

"That's...sinful."

"Uh, again with that? Is it really what you think, or what the place you ran away from is thinking?" Suzu asked calmly.

"It's what...I was taught to think."

"So your ex religious organization is against homosexuality yet as no problem with murder? Sounds weird to me."

"They...they think they are doing God's will. They think those they kill are sinners."

"Ah, I see. So the religious thing isn't just a cover-up, it's their motivation, they are religious extremists who train children to become assassins to serve their own agenda. Which means...you are a terrorist organization."

Kouko felt like there was some contempt in Suzu's eyes.

"What an odd thing to say, given the fact you're also an assassin."

"Uh? I never said I was an assassin. I'm not."

It took some time to Kouko to fully process what she had just heard. She wasn't expecting that.

"W-What? But then...why were you in Class Black. You tried to kill Ichinose too, don't you?!"

"Yes, if we can really consider it as trying. Remember the bomb you left me? I used it for a game. I put it around Ichinose-san's neck and she had one day to solve my game, after that the bomb would have exploded. She succeeded and I failed to kill her."

"You...you make your assassination attempt a game!? Why...why haven't you just make the bomb explode when you had the occasion? You could have won!"

"Perhaps. but...it wouldn't have felt right. I wanted to give her a fair chance to survive. I'm not even sure I really wanted to kill her, or how I would have felt if I had succeeded. Somehow, I'm happy to have lost, even if I really wanted my wish to come true."

Kouko didn't know what to reply to this. She could understand how Suzu felt. Herself she wasn't sure how she would have felt if she had managed to kill Haru, she had killed such an innocent girl. She would have probably felt terribly bad, even if it got her wish granted. Perhaps it was true. Killing to quit her job as an assassin was too contradictory. This is why she decided to quit by herself. That and because she knew it was Irena's desire.

"What was...your wish?" Kouko dared to ask. "It's okay if you don't want to tell me…"

"My wish was to be able to die."

This time, Kouko remained speechless. She didn't think Suzu was the suicidal type. In fact, it didn't make any sense to her.

"W-Why...do you want to die? Is it because of the place you came from? Where it's illegal...to be like you are? Now thinking about it, I didn't know there was a place like that in Japan, not in our days...are you really from here? Are you in fact a foreigner? Is it why you're talking like an old man?"

"No, I'm really Japanese. You're right, there isn't such a place in Japan these days. That's because...the place I came from isn't from this time."

Kouko tried to think about what those words mean, but after a long time of thinking, she was forced to admit she had no idea about what Suzu meant.

"Uh...what?" was the only thing Kouko managed to reply.

"Don't worry, I don't intend to kill myself or let myself be killed. it's not that type of death I want. It's because I'm sick..."

"Um, I wouldn't go as far as saying bisexuality is a sickness…"

"Not that. I just want to die like anyone should, from old age. But I can't, because of my illness."

"You...you're ill? What...what kind of illness? Are you going...to die soon?" Kouko asked, worried.

"Quite the opposite. I can't die because of my illness."

Kouko remained confused, unable to speak anymore. Suzu smiled sadly.

"Are you familiar with the Highlander Syndrome?" Suzu asked.

"Uh? I..I think I read about it once. It's a syndrome that prevents the person from ageing I think... Why are you…"

Kouko then finally understand everything. It all made senses now, everything that seemed odd about Suzu. But it couldn't be true.

"No, it can't be true...Because, the Highlander Syndrome, it's just a myth. You can't possibly be...immortal…"

"I am. I haven't aged since I'm a teenager. I don't even know how old I am anymore. All I know is that, I'm over 100 years old now. Ah, but don't worry. Even if I'm technically an adult, I still have the brain of a teenager...mostly."

"No, that's..that's a joke, right? You're just teasing me as you always do...it has to be…"

Suzu replied nothing to this. She simply continued to smile. But it wasn't an amused smile like she was really joking, it was the same sad smile she had before. She wasn't joking.

"So you're really...it's true. And your wish...was to be cured? Why? Isn't immortality something anyone would dream about?"

"Maybe a youngster would think that way. But when you're old like me, you realize how unpleasant immortality is. I can't die, not from old age, yet everyone around me does. They all grow up and eventually leave me. I outlived everyone I loved. This is my fate. It will be the same for you. You'll eventually grow older and continue your life without me, and when you'll die I'll still look the same as now. I do love you, but I know deep down that it's impossible for us to be together. Either you won't return my feelings, or will eventually leave me…"

This time Kouko felt another emotion. She felt upset. She didn't like what Suzu was saying, and it wasn't because she really loved her or because it was sinful. Quite the contrary in fact. She lost her composure and suddenly pinned Suzu on her futon.

"You...why are you saying me this!? You...you're telling me you love me just to give up on me right after?! Why are you assuming that I'll leave you? I won't! I can't help but age but it doesn't mean I'll leave you. I like being with you! I don't care if you don't grow up, it doesn't change the person you are. I want to stay by your side Shutou, because I...urgh, stop playing with my feelings like that!"

After talking so quick and loud, Kouko had to catch up her breath. She was pissed, but not just that. She was also sad and worried, as well as confused. She wasn't sure how to feel right now.

"Kouko-chan...could it be...you love me?" Suzu asked with a soft smile.

"I...I don't know...I never love anyone before, not romantically. So...perhaps?"

"Even if it's sinful?" Suzu added playfully.

"Yes, even if it's a sin. I don't care about what God thinks of me anyway."

Suzu softly stroke Kouko's cheek, which made the later blush.

"You're so cute, Kouko-chan."

"Are you...making fun of me again?"

"No. I really find you cute, and pretty. And I like your diligent and serious personality too."

This time, Kouko felt like her face was on fire. Suzu then giggled.

"You're adorable right now."

"Stop that...you're making me feel...weird."

"I love you."

"I...I appreciate being with you. I make me feel...good."

"That's enough for me. Take your time, I can be really patient. I have unlimited time anyway."

"Well I don't. So do it now. Show me...how you love me."

"Oh my, so assertive! First you pinned me on my futon, and now you're asking me this. I like that."

"S-Stop fooling around and just prove to me that you love me!"

Suzu suddenly approached her face from Kouko's, and smile enigmatically. Kouko couldn't help but admire her beautiful eyes, and felt like her heart was about to escape from her chest so much it beat strong and fast.

"With pleasure ~" Suzu softly said.

And their lips touched.

* * *

 **Those dorks. Kouko calling stuff sinful and her group being some kind of terrorist organization are** **more of a headcanon, but I feel like it could be the case.**

 **This is intended to be a one-shot but if you liked it I might continue. I actually have** **ideas for a multi-chapter SuzuKou fic. Be sure to tell me what you think and thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi there! Been a while since I posted this fic. Here's a continuation! But you need to know, I used some information from Koakuma no Riddle Epilogue for this chapter. The doujin isn't translated officially yet but I managed to have a rough translation. I'll leave the link in the AO3 version of this fic, so be sure to read it before reading this chapter.**

 **ps: this chapter happens after the SuzuKou chapter in my fic First times, but you don't need to have read it to understand, it'll be pretty clear what happened.**

* * *

Never Kouko thought that such pleasure could exist in that world. Lying naked next to Suzu, who was equally naked, the black haired girl was thinking about what they did together. They spent such a great time together, but Kouko couldn't help but think about what her old organization would have thought of this. Such activity was forbidden where she came from, and it was even worse when it was between two people of the same gender. It was hard for her to let go of her old group mentality, it would take time. But being with Suzu helped her to move forward.

The golden eyed girl suddenly turned back in the futon, facing her.

"Kouko-chan? Still awake? Do you have trouble sleeping?" Suzu asked.

"Yeah...I can't help but think about my old organization, and what we did..."

"Because it was sinful?"

"Kind of, but I don't really care anymore. I enjoyed it, I like being with you, and I won't let them get in the way of this."

Suzu smiled softly as she got closer from Kouko.

"I also enjoyed it, it was wonderful. I really love you, Kouko-chan."

It made the younger girl blushed. Suzu's feelings for her made her feel weird. She wasn't even sure of her own feelings for the older girl. Was she in love with her? What were they? A couple? Well, they do kiss, live together, and they just have sex together. Thinking about that made Kouko blush even more.

"I...I really appreciate you, Suzu," Kouko finally replied.

Suzu got her face closer and suddenly stole her a kiss. Kouko reacted by thrusting her tongue inside her mouth, which made Suzu moaned as she broke the kiss.

"Your kisses...they are the best I can remember from the last decade," Suzu commented.

"...what?"

Suzu suddenly looked embarrassed. Kouko felt kind of upset, but she wasn't sure why.

"How many people have you kissed, Suzu?"

"Well...not that many. Let's just say that I'm really old so of course I have... a lot of experiences."

"Great, so I was intimate with a perverted old lady," Kouko replied as she turned back.

"W-Wait, Kouko-chan! I...it's true that I'm old, but I have the brain of a teenager, I swear. And I'm not perverted…"

Kouko understood why she was upset. She was jealous. To her, Suzu was the first person she had been intimate with, but it wasn't the case for Suzu. This thought bothered her. It bothered her to know others before her experienced the same thing she had with Suzu.

"How many people...have you been intimate with?" Kouko asked.

"I...I don't know. I didn't count. Many men and women. I was...so lonely. Everyone kept leaving me, so...I wanted some affection. There was a time I liked to flirt a lot, I didn't want to be alone, I wanted to at least do something enjoyable with my forced long life. But before meeting you, it had been years since I had done nothing like that. I lost interest in this, but when I met you...it changed. For the first time since a long time, I wanted to share my life with someone else. And it was with you."

Kouko suddenly felt bad. And selfish. Of course Suzu would have done that kind of thing with other people before. She went through a lot, things Kouko couldn't imagine. But the jealousy she felt made her realized how much she cared about Suzu. And she was happy that she wanted to spend her life with her.

"Suzu...why do you love me? I'm not...that great. I'm a failure, I can't do anything right. I made so many mistakes…"

"That's not true. You were an incredible class rep. Haven't you say it yourself, that you were the leader of everything? It's when you said that that I took an interest in you. I love you for how diligent and serious you are, but you also have a soft side that makes me want to comfort you. And you're really cute."

Kouko blushed again. It felt weird for her to be loved like that. No one except Irena showed her love before. She was mainly disliked at her old group, other kids were bullying her and the adults viewed her as a disappointment. So Suzu's love for her kind of made her felt good about herself. She turned back to face Suzu again.

"Except Irena-senpai, I never received any affection before. Not only my organization viewed me as a failure, but they were also training us to be assassins. We were not viewed as human, we were merely tools to serve their goal. So it feels weird for me to be loved by you. It's something new for me. It may take me time to get used to it."

"Take your time, we're not in a hurry. I'll do my best to make you comfortable with me."

"Thank you, Suzu."

The golden eyed girl smiled as she hugged her fondly. Kouko could feel her hand running through her hair, stroking them. She closed her eyes, ready to fall asleep in Suzu's arms. But then, the latter suddenly spoke.

"The other day, you said something interesting, and I am not sure to have understood what it meant."

"Um?"

"You said you will live longer than me. What does it mean?" Suzu asked.

"Isn't obvious? Can't you guess?"

"...you're going to kill me before you die?"

"What? No! Why did you think that?"

"Well, it kind of sounds like that."

"That's not it...what I meant is that...I'll live longer than you because I'll find a cure to the Highlander Syndrome!" Kouko declared.

Suzu remained silent for a moment. Kouko began to feel embarrassed. She thought she had understood her the first time she told her that, but it seemed it wasn't the case.

"You...what?" Suzu replied, confused.

"You heard me...don't make me say it twice."

"You're serious?"

"Obviously! I'm not one to make jokes and you know it. When I say something, I mean it. I don't know how I'll do that, but I swear I'll. It may take time, but one day I'll succeed. I won't fail!"

Suzu let out a giggle, much to Kouko's surprise.

"Did I say something funny?"

"No, it's just that...you're so adorable right now. So serious. This is why I come to fall in love with you. I appreciate the thought, Kouko-chan."

"It's not just a thought, I'll do it for real. Because...I don't want to leave you alone. I don't want you to be lonely anymore. And since you want to stay with me, I thought...it would be nice if we could grow old together. Though I don't know how old I'll live, considering my old group wants to kill me."

Suzu suddenly started to gently pat Kouko's head.

"Thank you, Kouko-chan. I'm sure you'll succeed. After all, you're the leader of everything, you can't fail. I know you always keep your promise. And don't worry about your group, I'm here. I'll protect you."

Somehow, Kouko felt comforted to know Suzu had her back. She didn't know how she would find a cure, but she was determined to find one. She'll work hard to find a way. She'll survive and live by Suzu's side, this was her resolution. She smiled to herself as she closed her eyes again, this time falling asleep in Suzu's arms.

* * *

Kouko was running in the forest. She stopped near a tree and hid. She was exhausted and panting heavily. A sudden shot hitting the tree forced her to run away again.

Her old organization had found her. Luckily Suzu wasn't at home when the assassin arrived. Kouko was kind of relieved. She wouldn't want her friend to be hurt because of her.

She continued to run, trying to put as much distance she could between her and her pursuer. She suddenly felt a sharp pain on her leg. A bullet must have brushed it. She stumbled on a root and fell on a tree, nearly knocking her out. On the ground, she tried to get up, but all she managed to do was to lean on the tree.

"You can't escape your fate, Kaminaga," a feminine voice suddenly said.

In front of Kouko, aiming at her with a gun, there was a girl around her age.

"You thought you could just leave like that? How foolish. No one can escape, death is the only way out. And I'll be the one to free you," the assassin said.

Kouko knew her. She was part of her old group. They never really talked but she was one of the few members who was not mean to her. And she knew she wasn't a really good assassin, just like her.

"You should understand me. You got reprimanded a lot too! I'm not fit to be an assassin, and neither do you!" Kouko replied.

"Shut up! Our feelings don't matter, our sole purpose is to serve the organization. Even if we aren't good at it, we have to do it. You left because you were a coward, but I'm not like you. I'll succeed, I won't give up. And I'll kill you!"

"Leave her alone!"

The assassin turned back. Suzu was behind her, holding a gun. Kouko never saw Suzu like that. She legitimately looked threatening.

"Who are you? Are you her friend. Then I'll kill you too," the assassin said.

"Not if I kill you first!" Suzu shouted as she shot.

The assassin managed to dodge the bullet and rushed towards Suzu. The latter tried to shoot again, but the assassin was faster. She kicked her hand, disarming her, before aiming at her.

"No! Don't kill her! Please don't!" Kouko begged.

Somehow, what she said seemed to disturbed the assassin.

"You, go with her. And don't try anything stupid," the assassin ordered.

Suzu obeyed and went next Kouko as the assassin continued to aim at them.

"Is she someone important to you?" the assassin asked.

"Y-Yes, she is," Kouko replied with hesitation.

"Usually our group would want her dead for helping you, but if you surrender I'll spare her life."

"Fine, do as you like with me, but don't hurt her."

"I object!" Suzu suddenly said. "I don't want Kouko-chan to die."

As she said that, the older girl went in front of Kouko, protective.

"Suzu, no! I don't want you to die!" Kouko protested.

"Me neither," Suzu argued.

"You two...quit fooling around or I'll kill you both!" the assassin exclaimed.

Suzu refused to move. The assassin's hands were slightly shaking. She looked like she was hesitating to pull the trigger.

"I heard what you said to Kouko-chan," Suzu suddenly began to say. "You were not honest. You don't view her as a coward, don't you? You're actually jealous, you would have wanted to have the courage to escape like she did, because you too, you don't want to be an assassin. You are mad at her because she did something you're not enough brave to do!"

"You're wrong! I don't! I'm simply following the orders, which is the kill the traitor. I don't want to run away like her, you know nothing about me!"

"Then why do you hesitate to kill me? You could just kill us both without trying to spare me. You don't want to kill an innocent, you don't want to kill. You actually want to leave this life behind, escape, but you're too scared to do it. Kouko-chan isn't the coward, you are!"

This declaration felt like a knife in the heart for the assassin. She began to recoil, shaking even more.

"I...even if I want to escape, I can't! They will just chase me down and kill me…"

"But Kouko-chan tried regardless. She's brave. Even you, you know it. And you can't accept it. You can't accept someone doing what you are too afraid of. Is that it?"

"I...yes. I mad at Kaminaga...for leaving. Because I can't do it!"

The assassin lowered her gun, looking defeated.

"Just...go. I don't even want to kill any of you anymore. But you have to leave the country. I'll tell the group you're dead, so you have to disappear. Otherwise...they will kill me," the assassin said.

Kouko remained surprised for a moment. So she gave up on killing her. It was thanks to Suzu. Kouko weakly got up.

"I'll leave the country as soon as possible, I promise," she said.

"Good. Don't make me regret to have spare your life."

Kouko grabbed Suzu's hand and began to walk away, before the assassin suddenly stopped her.

"Kaminaga...you are actually a symbol of hope for those who are still there, those who don't want to be assassins. The fact you managed to escape...give us hope. So please, keep living. Live for us, and if you can, one day...save us."

"I can't promise that, but I'll do my best to. Thanks," Kouko replied, before she left the area with Suzu.

* * *

The plane flew off. Kouko looked through the porthole. She was leaving Japan and she wasn't sure if she would come back one day. But it was for the best. This way, she'll be able to escape from her old group and live in peace.

"Any regret?" Suzu asked.

"No, I'm fine. I just hope everything will be fine in the United States."

"It's pretty far away from Japan so we should be fine. Is your English good?"

"I manage. What about you?"

"I had plenty of time to learn English during my long life, so I'll be fine."

Kouko was kind of nervous. From now one she'll be living in another country. She looked at Suzu, remembering something she wanted to tell her.

"I haven't the occasion to thank you. It's thanks to you if we survived when that girl from my group wanted to kill us," Kouko said.

"I wasn't sure it would work, but I had the feeling I could get her to stop. She kinds of reminded me of you. But you're way cuter."

"This..this isn't the time to flirt," Kouko replied, blushing.

"Anyway, it's a good thing I saved so much money during my life, it's going to be useful for our new life. I'll even be able to send you to school so you finish your studies."

"Speaking about that...I know how I'll cure your illness. I'll study hard and become a scientist. This way, I'll have the resources to work on a cure," Kouko declared.

"So hardworking as always. I always liked that part of you."

"I said it wasn't the time to flirt! Uh, that makes me wonder...why you never try to talk to scientists before? I'm sure one of them would have been interested in working on a cure. After all, this illness is kind of the secret to immortality, any scientist could be intrigued to study it."

"About that...I was afraid. I didn't want for too many people to know about my illness, in case...some people wanted to use it to their advantage. I was afraid that could start some kind of war for immortality. Or even get kidnapped by a mad scientist or something. But if it's you who study me, then I'm fine. I would trust you with my life."

"Why are you always so cheesy...but I understand. If some people learn about an illness that prevents from dying, it could potentially start a conflict."

Kouko felt a hand in hers. She turned back, to see that Suzu had put her hand on hers and was now looking at her fondly.

"Thank you, Kouko-chan. I really appreciate what you want to do for me."

"No need to thanks me, I'm only doing this to repay you, because you helped me," Kouko replied, embarrassed.

Suzu smiled softly and Kouko couldn't help but smiled. She was glad to be alive with Suzu, and she was willing to do anything so they can spend their life and grow together. She wanted to make Suzu's wish a reality, she was determined to, so she wouldn't be alone anymore. Suzu helped her with her wish to escape, it was only fair she helped her with hers.

Kouko and Suzu held hands as the plane continued its way to its destination, soon their new home.

* * *

 **I had the headcanon that Kouko would find a cure to the Highlander Syndrome so she can grow old with Suzu, so it would be less tragic and happier. Then when I read KnR epilogue and Kouko said she'll live longer than Suzu, it made me feel like it confirmed my headcanon, so I was glad.**

 **This story is not over yet, so tell me if you're still interested!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi everyone! Been a while since I updated this fic, but here I am with a new chapter! I planned the plot for this story and there should be 6 chapters. I hope you'll like this chapter**.

* * *

Kouko removed her shoes as she entered her apartment and closed the door behind. She walked to the living room and looked around, noticing that she was alone.

" _Suzu must still be working,_ " Kouko thought.

Despite her savings, Suzu had decided to find a job, to live with the money she earned working rather than her savings. She considered that it would be safer this way and allowed them to keep her savings for emergencies.

Their apartment was modest, not rich but not poor either. It was in a little town in the north of California, near the coast. The apartment had 4 rooms: a bedroom, a living room, a bathroom and a kitchen.

Kouko put her bag on the floor and sat on the couch. She took out some of her school books from her bag and put them on the coffee table, ready to study a little and do some homework while waiting for Suzu. She started school recently and for now, everything was fine. Her classmates were curious because she was a foreigner. Kouko was trying to keep a low profile to avoid getting too much attention and be potentially bullied, but for now her classmates seemed nice and proposing her help. Kouko's English wasn't the best but she managed, enough to understand the classes and do the work.

While Kouko was finishing her math homework, she heard the door opened. But she remained on the couch, waiting. She heard footsteps approaching from the living room. Kouko closed her book and put it back in her bag.

"Hi, Kouko-chan. I'm back!" Suzu said happily. "How was your day at school?"

Suzu took place next to Kouko on the couch.

"It was fine, my classmates are nice to me, and so are my teachers. And the amount of work is reasonable, it's actually less demanding than in Japan."

"I see. I'm glad everything is going well for you."

"What about you? How was work? Which one was it this time?"

Suzu had two part-time jobs. She was a swimming instructor half of the week and working in an activity center the rest of the week, teaching kids various game boards. Swimming and games, two things that were Suzu's hobbies. Kouko knew that she enjoyed those two jobs and she was glad for her.

"I was at the activity center. I tried introducing the kids to shogi, but it was kind of hard for non-Japanese people so instead, we played chess. Some of them have a talent for that. It was an interesting day."

The two of them continued to talk about their respective day a bit, until Suzu rose up.

"I think it's time for supper. Wanna help me?" Suzu proposed with a smile.

"Sure, though you know I'm not a really good cook."

"Don't worry, I'll teach you. I'm a good teacher after all."

They both went to the kitchen and started working on supper. Suzu was the one dealing with the oven, since Kouko had the tendencies to burn stuff, while Kouko was cutting vegetables. When it was done cooking they ate together, before doing the dishes together. Suzu was washing while Kouko was wiping.

"Kouko-chan, wanna do something together after?"

"Hm, I had planned to study."

"Again? You study all the time. You're already a smart student."

"I have to. It has been a while I haven't go to school, I have a lot to catch up. And I'm not totally fluent in English so it requires more work. And I need to have good grades, perfect grades, if I want to have a scholarship and study at a good university. This is part of my plan."

Suzu sighed and smiled softly.

"I know. This is actually what I love about you, how diligent you are. And I want you to succeed, after all, you're doing this for my sake. But… I also want to spend time with you."

It was Kouko's turn to sighed. She did realize she was neglecting Suzu these days, but all she was doing was for her sake. Having a scholarship, entering a good university, becoming a scientist, and ultimately finding a cure to the Highlander Syndrome so they can grow old together and Suzu finally not alone anymore. But she realized she couldn't do that at the expense of their time now. She had to take care of the present too, not just the future.

"You're right. I'm sorry. I'll try to give you some time after school," Kouko said.

"Yay!"

They finished the dishes and went to the living room. They decided to play shogi together.

"Hey, Suzu, why have you chosen California among all states?" Kouko asked as she played.

"Hm, well I asked people on the internet which state would be the best for a gay couple, and a lot of them suggested California."

Kouko blushed at this statement.

"Gay couple!?"

"Well, we're pretty much a couple, no? And we're both girls, so…"

Kouko realized that it was the truth. She and Suzu were dating, and they were both girls. A same-sex relationship. Which means… she was gay. A lesbian. What would her old organization think of that… it didn't matter. It was her life, her choice, she loved Suzu and wanted to be with her. What others think of that didn't matter. All that mattered was that she was happy with Suzu.

"Yes, we are," Kouko said with a smile.

They continued to play for a while, ending with Suzu's victory. But Kouko didn't mind. She was just happy to be able to spend time with her girlfriend. Kouko studied a little before going to bed with Suzu, satisfied with her current life. She was able to go to school like a normal girl, spend time with her lover. She was really grateful for that, grateful to Suzu for her help. And she wanted to repay her for that. And she will, she was determined to find a cure to the Highlander Syndrome no matter what.

Kouko felt Suzu hugging her and she smiled, glad to feel her warmth on her, and softly falling asleep in her arms.

* * *

Kouko was awfully distant these days. That was what Suzu noticed and she was starting to get worried.

The younger girl was finishing her second year at the university. Due to her nearly perfect grades in high school, Kouko managed to get a scholarship to study in a good university, as she had planned. She was currently studying to become a scientist specializing in illnesses.

Suzu thought at first that her girlfriend was being distant because she was busy studying for her exams, but she realized that it wasn't just that. It had been a while since they had any physical contact, be hugging, kissing, or sex. Or even just went on a date. Suzu wondered if Kouko was really avoiding her or if it was just her imagination.

The golden eyed girl was washing her end in the bathroom. She raised her head and met her reflexion in the mirror. The same face she saw since years, decades, a century. The same teenage face. She was stuck in the body of a teenager, unable to grow old. She suddenly realized why Kouko was avoiding her.

Kouko was now in her twenties. She was an adult. Suzu too was technically an adult, but in the eyes of others, she was still a teen. If they go on dates together, people would look at them and judge them. It was understandable if Kouko wanted to avoid that, after all, she could have problems with the law.

But it wasn't an excuse to not be affectionate anymore when they were alone. Suzu looked at her hand, her body. Such a childish body, a body that had never grow into adulthood, and may never will. Being an adult now, Kouko must see her as a child. She didn't want to touch her anymore because of how young she looked. This gave her a terrible feeling of deja vu. A similar situation happened once. With her old lover. He realized that she couldn't age and as he grew older, he eventually abandoned her.

Suzu didn't want that to happen with Kouko, she was so worried that it might be what was happening right now. Just like her old lover, Kouko was slowly becoming distant, and eventually, she would abandon her just like him. She would be too uncomfortable dating and be intimate with someone who look like a teenager. Despite how sad Suzu would be if it was the case, she understood. It was natural. Who would want to be with someone who can't grow old, it was normal for an adult to be uncomfortable with someone who will always look like a teen. And it will become worst as Kouko continue to grow old. Being left behind was simply natural for someone like her, and Kouko wasn't different than the other lovers before her.

Suzu looked at her reflexion again and felt some frustration. She almost wanted to smash the mirror. She hated her illness. She hated the fact she looks like a teenager. All she wanted was to grow old, with the one she loved, and died like everyone else. She was tired to lose people she cared about, she just wanted to be… normal.

" _Kouko-chan… I love her so much. I don't want to lose her. I don't want my illness to take someone away from me again. I'm not going to give up. Kouko-chan… is different. She loves me for who I am, regardless of my body. I know she can accepts me. After all, she wants to find a cure, it's not like she's going to abandon me now, there has to be a reasonable explanation…_ "

Suzu decided to have faith in Kouko. She was just being paranoiac because of the past, but she had to believe in her girlfriend. They loved each other and they were meant to stay together.

She heard the door opened. Kouko must be back. There days she always came home very late, apparently because she stayed longer at the university to study for her exams. Suzu immediately went to meet her, happy that her girlfriend was back. Kouko was removing her shoes. Her hair was down, which Suzu found really pretty.

"Kouko-chan! Welcome back!"

"Hm, hi…" Kouko replied absentmindly.

"Would you like anything? Something to drink perhaps?"

"No, I'm fine, thanks," she replied, barely looking at her.

Well, it didn't start well. But Suzu wasn't ready to give up yet. She let Kouko walked a little, going to the living room, before suddenly hugging her and kissing her. Her girlfriend didn't react much at first, she looked like she froze. Suzu could feel that Kouko was really tensed, like the physical contact made her uncomfortable. When she realized that, Suzu recoiled. Something was wrong, she was sure of it.

"Kouko-chan, is there something wrong?"

The black haired girl looked nervous and was avoiding her gaze.

"N-No, everything is fine…"

"Then why are you avoiding me these days?"

"I… I'm not. I'm just really busy with the final exams."

"It's not only that. When was the last time we hug, kiss, or been intimate? Just right now, you acted so tense when I kissed you."

Kouko didn't reply anything to that, looking uncomfortable. Suzu was starting to get more and more worried, and also upset.

"I understand. You're an adult after all, while I still look like a teenager. It's normal that you're no longer comfortable with me, not with that body of mine…"

"Suzu… what… what are you talking about?"

"It happened to me before. With him. He continued to grow while I was stuck in the body of a teenager. He eventually felt uncomfortable with me and left me. You're acting the same way he did. I know… you're uncomfortable with the way I look. And that… you might leave me behind like he did…"

"No I won't!" Kouko suddenly exclaimed.

"Then why are you avoiding me!?" Suzu said sharply.

Kouko looked surprised and confused by Suzu's reaction. Suzu immediately regretted to have talked like that. It wasn't like her to speak like that. She was usually so calm and cool-headed, but with what happened she couldn't help but be on edge. This whole situation just reminded her too much of the past, when her past lover abandoned her. This event left a scar in her mind and it was starting to re-open.

"I… I'm sorry. I didn't meant to make you feel that way. But you need to know that I'm not uncomfortable with you. I don't care if you have the body of a teenager, to me you're an adult. I view you as older than me, not younger. And I think you're beautiful."

"Then why… why are you avoiding me?"

Kouko remained quiet for a moment, hesitating. She was still avoiding Suzu's gaze.

"I… I'm nervous," Kouko replied.

"Uh? Nervous? About what?"

"Well… I haven't been honest with you. I… lied to you. So I felt ashamed of myself, I felt undeserving of you. Being close of you reminded me of my lie and it put me uncomfortable. It's not your fault, it's me."

"A lie… Kouko-chan, what have you been lying about?"

Once again the younger girl went silent, which made Suzu terribly worried about the nature of this lie.

"I lied… to hide a secret. It's nothing bad, I swear. The lie is that… I wasn't staying late at the university to study. Actually, it was because… I had a part-time job. And it's related to my secret."

"What secret? And why a part-time job? I'm working enough to allow us to live comfortably."

"I needed money… for something. For my… secret. Uh… I wanted to wait before doing that, but I guess now is the time. I just can't keep this secret any longer, not if it's making you so worried. I wanted to buy something, and I did today. So I won't have to work anymore."

"You wanted to buy something? What it is? Why you couldn't tell me? Why wait?" Suzu asked.

"I'll show you… I'm just really nervous, I wanted it to be perfect. But I guess now is the time, given the circumstances."

Suzu was beginning to be really confused by this situation. She was even more confused when Kouko suddenly get on one knee, looking for something in her pocket. She pulled out a little box from her pocket and Suzu started to realize what was going on. Kouko opened the box, which was containing a ring.

"Suzu, would you marry me?"

Suzu didn't know what to reply. She was expecting Kouko to leave her, but no she was proposing to her, the complete opposite of what Suzu was expecting. All her life Suzu dreamt of a moment like that. Finding someone who truly love her despite her illness, enough to marry her. She thought this day would never come, but here it was. It was a dream coming true. She felt tears falling from her eyes and rolling on her cheeks. When was the last time she cried? She didn't even know. Kouko remained on her knee, looking nervous by Suzu's silence, before standing up.

"I… I wanted to wait… until I graduate. I wanted to marry you when I'll have cured you. Because I will, I swear…"

"Oh, Kouko-chan… oh god," she cried aloud, starting to sob, "Yes, I'll marry you! I want to be with you forever, Kouko-chan. Yes!"

Suzu suddenly jumped into Kouko's arms, hugging her. This time, Kouko wasn't tense. She seemed more relax, like she was relieved. They hugged for a while, Suzu had never been as much happy as she is right now before. This was truly the best day of her life. Not only Kouko didn't leave her like she thought, but also proposed to her. Kouko wanted to stay with her forever, it was the first time someone did that for her.

"Kouko-chan, I love you so much! Thank you!"

"I love you too, Suzu."

And they kissed. A kiss full of passion and affection. Suzu was so happy and glad. She felt lucky to have Kouko as her girlfriend- no, fiancée. They eventually broke the kiss and looked at each other fondly.

"Kouko-chan, you promised. You'll cure me and we'll grow old together. And when it will happen, we'll get married. This will be the start of our life together, our life where I'll be able to age with you."

"I swear, I'll cure you. And then we'll get married and stay together for the rest of our life."

And they shared another kiss, this one chaster. They then hugged once again, overflowed by happiness, both grateful to have the other in their life, and confident that Suzu will be cured and allowed to age like a normal person.

And when it will happen, they will get married and live happily ever after as wives.

* * *

Kouko was holding her diploma in her hands with pride. After all those years, she succeeded to get her Ph.D. For once in her life, she felt like she finally accomplished something good, something not everyone was able to do. She was a doctor now. All her life she had been treated as a failure, someone who couldn't succeed. Well, that piece of paper she was holding was the proof they were wrong, this time she didn't fail. And she'll accomplish so much more now. She'll be the one who will find a cure to the Highlander Syndrome.

"Kouko-chan, I'm so proud of you! You're a doctor now. I can't believe I'm dating a doctor!"

The black haired girl put her diploma on the table, still looking at it.

"And soon I'll be a scientist. I already have places who are interested in hiring me to do scientific researches. I know people interested in studying the Highlander Syndrome, old classmates who I trust. I should be able to get funding for my researches. Getting my Ph.D. was the first step for my plan, for our future together."

"And the last step will be the get married when I'll be cured," Suzu added, looking at her engagement ring with a soft smile.

For once Kouko felt like she was doing something good. She put so much effort into her studies, not for herself, but for Suzu's sake. She worked so hard just to help the girl she loved. Kouko felt like it redeemed her from her past mistakes, that she had another chance to make things right, starting with curing Suzu.

"You'll see, we'll grow old together, married. I love you so much, thanks for supporting me all this time," Kouko said.

She felt so confident that she'll succeed. She had to. She promised.

"I love you too. I'll always be there for you, and I'll help you as much as I can," Suzu replied.

"That's good to hear because we might need a living specimen for the researches," Kouko said.

"Oh, I'm a specimen now?"

"Well… yeah? If you don't mind, of course."

"If it's what it takes to cure me, I'm ready to be a specimen for any of your test," Suzu replied with a seductive smile as she cuddled Kouko. "You can do anything to my body, Dr. Kouko."

The black haired girl blushed.

"Dr. Kouko?"

"Well, since you're a doctor now, I was thinking of calling you that from now on, especially in the bedroom…"

Kouko felt her heart racing. She might be dating Suzu for years, she was still affected by her flirt, especially when it was of a kinky nature.

"... do as you wish…" she replied, embarrassed.

"Speaking of that, how about we celebrate your graduation? I have a few ideas of what we could do, and all of them are in the bed. Except one who would be in the bath," Suzu said with a lustful expression.

"But Suzu… we haven't even eaten yet."

"You can eat me all you want ~"

Kouko blushed even more at this proposition.

"I… you will never change uh… always so sinful."

"Hehe, so is it a yes?"

The younger girl sighed before smiling.

"Yes."

Suzu smiled happily as she grabbed her fiancée's hand, heading for the bedroom, where they will celebrate in a rather pleasant way Kouko's graduation.

* * *

 **Everything is going for the best for Suzu and Kouko, but what does fate has in store for them? You'll see in the next chapter! Please don't hesitate to let me know your thought in a review.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey there, been a while huh? After updating my SumiBanba fic I thought it was time to also update my SuzuKou one. I hope you're going to like it!**

 **Warning: Lot of medical stuff happens in this chapter.**

* * *

"It's going to sting for a moment, so bear with it, okay?" Kouko said.

"I'm a grown woman, I can bear with it. It wouldn't be the first time anyway," Suzu replied with a confident smile.

"Are you sure? I'll have to take a lot of blood for all the tests."

"I'm telling you, it's fine. I can take it. Don't worry about me, Kouko-chan."

Suzu was lying on a hospital chair, Kouko right by her side. She was not afraid, she trusted her fiancée. Kouko was now an imminent scientist, with her own researching team and funding for her research about the Highlander Syndrome. It took years to achieve, but they were finally there, ready to start the experiment to find a cure.

Kouko tied up an elastic around Suzu's arm, above her elbow. She then approached a syringe and gently stung her arm and Suzu winced, feeling a little bit of pain. Kouko was now drawing blood from her in a container connected to the syringe. A lot of blood was flowing, more than Suzu was expecting. She was starting to feel a little bit dizzy, her sight was becoming slightly blurry.

"I'm almost done," Kouko said. "Are you okay?"

"Hm? Oh, yes, I… I am."

After a few more seconds, Kouko eventually removed the needle and some blood continued to drip. Her fiancée immediately put a bandage on the wound to prevent that. She then took the container filled with Suzu's blood and looked at it, with a satisfied smile on her face. She then put the container on a table and put back her attention on Suzu.

"Are you feeling alright? It was a lot of blood…"

"Yeah, I'm fine. It barely hurt."

Suzu then rose up, but as soon as she tried to take a few steps, she became dizzy and lost her balance. But before she could reach the floor, Kouko caught her.

"Suzu! You shouldn't move, you need to rest!" she reprimanded as she put back her lover on the hospital chair.

"Sorry… I thought I would be fine."

Kouko gave Suzu a little juice in a carton container and put a straw in it.

"Take this, it will give you some strength. I'll go get you something to eat. Stay here, and don't get out of the chair. You need to rest," Kouko commanded.

"I'll, don't worry," Suzu replied as she took.

Kouko looked like she was hesitating before she took the blood sample and leave the room. Suzu started to drink the juice. It was really sugary, but she liked that.

Suzu was both excited and worried about the future experiment. She knew she was going to be treated as a test subject, but if it was what it takes to find a cure to her illness, she was ready. But she couldn't help but be a little bit afraid of the repercussion it was going to have on her body. She was also afraid that it would be all in vain and couldn't find a cure.

But whatever the result, Suzu will still love and want to be with Kouko. Even if she failed to find a cure. She was already grateful that her lover was trying. Of course, Suzu was hopeful that she would succeed and would be disappointed if it failed, but it wouldn't change her love for Kouko. She knew she was trying her best for her sake and she would be eternally grateful for that.

Suzu continued to drink her juice, wishing with all her heart that Kouko will succeed so they can grow old together and get married.

* * *

Again, she felt the pain of a needle stinging her skin. She wasn't afraid anymore, it was just happening so regularly now. Blood test, injection, they all happened every week now. At first, they were simply testing the potential cure on her blood samples, but since the result seemed positive, they moved to the next step: experimenting on Suzu's body directly.

It had been more than a year now that the researches for a cure to the Highlander Syndrome had started. They discovered some anomalies in Suzu's DNA, which seemed to cause her cell to simply not die as they should do. The cure was trying to stimulate her cell to die so she could age. The test on the blood samples seemed to have worked, but when used on Suzu, it hadn't showed positive results yet. Each time they test the cure on her, they had to take another blood sample to see if it had worked. This was their fifth attempt.

Suzu was starting to be tired of getting stung so much, but she knew it worthed it. If all of this pain could allow her to be cured, she was ready to bear with it. And at least, the person stinging her was always Kouko. It was making all of this much more tolerable.

After injecting the cure, Kouko removed delicately the needle, before putting a bandage on the wound. She then put a hand on Suzu's shoulder and stroke her softly, before giving her a comforting smile.

"You did great, I'll wait a couple of days before testing your blood again and see if there are any changes," Kouko said.

Suzu forced herself to smile. She really wanted to be over with this. But she trusted Kouko, she was convinced that all of this wouldn't be for nothing. She had faith in her lover.

"Now let's get lunch, you deserve a break."

"You deserve a break too, you're working so hard and you barely take any break," Suzu said.

"I can't, I really need to work on this, this is important. I'm close to finally find a cure."

Suzu sighed. Even though she loved how hardworking her lover was, she wished she would take it easy, and maybe spend more time with her. Since they started the researches, Kouko was giving less and less attention to Suzu. She did understand why, this experiment was taking a lot of her time, and she understood how important it was, but she just wanted to be with the girl she loved. But even if she was sad to spend less time with her fiancée, Suzu accepted it, since she knew all Kouko wanted was to grant her wish, which is to be cured.

They both left the laboratory and headed for the cafeteria, Suzu being glad that she could have the occasion to spend time with Kouko, even if it would be short.

* * *

Suzu didn't feel well these days. She felt weaker than usual and with low energy. She thought that she might have caught a cold or the flu, but she wasn't sneezing, coughing or even have a fever. So maybe it was some other type of virus.

The latest experiment on her body showed positive results. Some of her cells had started to die as a normal body would. It was too soon to be sure if it really worked, but for now, they were all really hopeful.

But Suzu was a little bit worried. What if the cure was the reason why she felt sick? She didn't see how it would be possible, but maybe it was the case. She hesitated to tell Kouko about her worries, to not make her feel bad. Anyway, she was certain it couldn't be the case. Ageing wouldn't make her sick like that.

She took at herself in the mirror. She didn't seem to look any different, except the dark circles under her eyes. She was feeling tired and exhausted. But then she noticed something. She looked closer just to be sure. Yes, she did see well.

She was starting to have grey hair.

Suzu wasn't sure what to think about that. Her hair turning grey seemed to prove that she was indeed ageing, but she shouldn't have grey hair until she's physically elderly.

She was starting to really not feeling well. She was having severe back pain. It felt like her chest was being pierced. Worried, she exited the bathroom and looked for Kouko. She found her in the living room, reading a newspaper.

"Kouko-chan… I don't really feel well," Suzu said.

"Hm? What's going on, Suzu?"

"I just… don't feel good… my back hurt… I feel… so weak…"

Part of her face started to feel numb. She suddenly felt a deep pain in her chest, more specifically her heart. She couldn't feel it beat anymore. She lost strength in her legs and simply collapse to the floor, her vision becoming more and more blurry.

"Suzu!"

Kouko rushed towards her with a panicked expression. The last thing Suzu saw before everything turned black was the face of her lover.

* * *

Suzu hadn't woke up for days now. Lying in a hospital bed, she was getting paler and paler, even her hair had started to turn white. Kouko was worried sick for her fiancée and plagued with remorse. She knew it was her fault if Suzu was in this state. She failed to cure her and instead, she made her terribly sick.

Suzu slowly opened her eyes. When she saw Kouko she softly smiled, but then looked concerned by her lover's sad expression. She then looked around and was confused, probably because she was in a hospital room and was plugged on various machines to keep her alive.

"Kouko-chan… what happened?"

"You… you had a heart attack."

"Huh? But… I'm physically too young for that… right?"

Kouko hesitated to answer, feeling ashamed of herself. But she had to tell Suzu the truth.

"It's the cure… it technically worked but… not in the way we wanted," Kouko replied.

"Huh? What do you mean? I'm ageing again, so what's the problem?"

"You.. you're ageing yes… but not normally. You're not ageing like a teenager would, some of your internal organs… became the same of an old person. You're ageing too fast. You have the heart of an elderly, this is why… it's weak… and you got a heart attack."

"Oh…"

Suzu remained silent for a moment, thoughtful. Kouko was worried. She expected a bad reaction for her lover, especially since she messed up her body. But surprisingly, Suzu smiled, but in a rather sad way.

"I suppose it was bound to happen. I'm a hundred years old, so perhaps it's normal that my body is catching up to my actual age. At least I'm cured and can finally grow old, even if it's faster than I expected."

"How… how can you accept that!? In your current state you'll die soon, this is not what you want, what we want! All of this… was so we can grow old together. I don't want you to die now, I love you too much…"

Tears was starting to fall from Kouko's eyes. Suzu looked saddened too as she gently stroke her lover's cheek.

"I want to be with you too, if I don't have much time to live, I want to spend it with you. I can still grow old with you, but… faster than expected. We can even get married. I simply wish to spend the rest of my life with my wife."

Kouko continued to sob. She hated herself so much right now. She failed again. She was just a failure like she always had been. She killed her dear senpai, and now she'll kill her lover.

No, she refused to let Suzu die. She won't be the cause of someone she cared about's death. For once she'll save a life instead of taking it.

"I won't let you die," Kouko said. "I'll stop the treatment, maybe it will stop the effect..."

"No!" Suzu suddenly said. "I don't want that. I want to grow old, I don't want to stop."

"But at this rate, you're going to die!"

"Kouko-"

"No! I can't let you die, I can't lose someone I love again, not by my hand. I can't fail, I don't want to be a failure anymore. For once I just wanted to do something good, so please, let me save your life…"

Suzu looked like she was hesitating before she took Kouko's hand.

"I believe in you. You're not a failure, you never been. I know you can succeed. I want to continue the treatment, but I know you can stabilize my state and allow me to live longer. I have faith in your capacities. So please, let's continue, and save me."

Kouko wasn't sure what to do. She didn't want Suzu to die, but she did want to make her wish come true. She wanted to grow old with her, married her, live the rest of her life by her side. But she was so scared to fail like she always did, she didn't want to fail to save Suzu. She didn't have enough faith in her own capacities.

But somehow, Suzu faith in her gave her some confidence. She was making her feel like she could actually succeed for once and do something good, something she can be proud of. She was scared to lose Suzu, but at the same time, she didn't want to disappoint her.

"Okay, I'll continue the treatment. I'll work on finding a way to stabilize your state so you age normally. But if you nearly die again, I'll stop."

"I'm fine with that, I just want to try again. I don't want to give up now. But if something bad happened again, then I'll accept your decision. Thank you, for trying again."

Softly, Suzu drew Kouko closer to her, and they both shared a tender kiss. Kouko was still worried about her lover's health, but she was more than determined to save her life and finally make her wish a reality.

* * *

Kouko slowly opened her eyes. She felt like she had a dream but she couldn't remember. She rose up and stretched a little, before looking at her side. Suzu was lying in bed, her chest exposed. Some scars were visible on her, chirurgical scars. Suzu had to undergo multiple organs transplant since her original organs became too old. It really improved Suzu's health and prevented her from dying. Kouko managed to stabilize Suzu's state and allow her to age normally, but not without some negative affect on her body. But for now, her fiancée's life wasn't in danger anymore and she did succeed in curing the Highlander Syndrome.

Kouko got out of bed and put back the blanket to cover Suzu, before leaving a soft kiss on her forehead. She got dressed and then left the bedroom and went to the living room. She turned on the TV to watch the news. She learned that a terrorist organization had been discovered and several members had been arrested. She recognized them. It was her old organization.

These past few weeks, Kouko had sent anonymous letters to the authorities to denounce her old group. It looked like it finally worked. She allowed herself to smile with satisfaction. Someone from her old group asked her a long time ago to save them, she didn't promise she would, but she did. She felt like she did something good. She stopped assassins and allow the children to be freed.

"Kouko-chan?"

Kouko turned and see Suzu walking with a cane, limping a little. Kouko turned off the TV.

"Oh, Suzu. How are you doing today?"

"I'm doing fine, I slept well. What about you?"

"I'm fine too."

Suzu sat next to Kouko on the couch and laid her head on her shoulder.

"I dreamed about… Japan," Suzu said.

"Hm?"

"I… kind of miss Japan. It's the country I lived most of my life. I do like our life here, but sometimes… I want to go back to Japan."

Kouko took the time to think about it. They had a comfortable life here, a good job, a lot of money too. But it was true that she was missing Japan too. And the only reason they left was because of her organization, but they had been arrested now. There was no threat to her in Japan anymore.

"I'll think about it, I admit that I do miss Japan too," Kouko said.

"And also… if we get married… I want it to be in Japan."

Suzu looked at her engagement ring. They did promise to get married when Suzu will be cured. It was probably time to honour this promise.

"I want to be your wife so much, it always been my dream to get married to the person I love," Suzu added.

"And we will. We promise. I would be so happy to be your wife too."

Suzu smiled and got closer to her lover, to steal her a soft and chaste kiss on the lips.

"I'm hungry. Let's make breakfast, okay?" Suzu proposed.

"Yes."

Kouko helped Suzu to get up and they both headed for the kitchen. Like she did each day, Kouko thought about how glad she was that she managed to save Suzu's life, and how happy she was to be able to live with her.

All she wanted to do now was to marry her and grow old with her, just like Suzu had even wished.

* * *

 **What would be a Ricky fic without some drama and tears? Nobody will be spear, not even Suzu and Kouko. But for now, everything seems fine between them... right?**


	5. Chapter 5

Kouko took her first step outside the plane. It had been such a long time since she left this place. She was starting to be a little bit homesick. As she fully exited the plane, she noticed signs and panels written in kanji and smiled. She was really back home.

"Kouko-chan, a little help here please."

Kouko turned back to see Suzu hardly exiting the plane, her legs shivering while she was supporting herself on her cane. Kouko immediately grabbed her fiancée's arm to help her keep her balance and they walked away from the gate, wandering in the airport.

"Wow, it's so weird to hear people speak Japanese after years of living in California," Suzu commented.

"It almost feels like we're in a foreign country, even though we are from here," Kouko agreed.

They couldn't walk fast because of Suzu's bad hips, but they weren't in a rush. Their second plane was in a couple of hours.

"I'm hungry, how about we go to a café to wait?" Suzu proposed.

"I'm starting to be hungry too, and I want a drink," Kouko said.

They looked around at the airport and eventually found a café-restaurant. Suzu ordered a salad with a green tea, while Kouko bought a sandwich with a hot coco. They spotted a free table and sat down there, both starting to eat their respective lunch.

"I just want to arrive at a hotel and sleep already," Suzu complained.

"Right, the jet lag… Just one more plane and we'll be there. Then we'll visit that house we want to buy in the countryside."

"Mhm, somewhere calm where we can start over."

Now that her old organization had been dismantled and most members arrested, Kouko had nothing to fear in Japan. But just to be sure, she preferred to go live in the countryside, somewhere people won't find her, somewhere calm where she can grow old with Suzu and simply be happy with her fiancée. It was her wish- no, their wish.

"We'll have to find a job soon, we have lots of saving but it won't last forever," Kouko said.

"Hm, well these days I kind of want to be a teacher. I really like children, and teaching people."

"Teacher would suit you. Me, I'm not sure. With my Ph.D. I could still be a scientist, or a doctor. But I'm also tempted to change carrier and be an architect. I have always been good at blueprints."

"Hm, those are all good choices, but there's something else you could do~"

"Huh? And what is it?"

"Come on Kouko-chan, you have another passion, something you like to do in your free time. Something you're great at."

It took a few seconds for Kouko to realize what Suzu meant, her lover smirking at her.

"Oh you mean… drawing?" Kouko said.

"Yes, you're a wonderful artist. You could become a drawer."

"I… I definitely don't have enough talent for that!" Kouko protested, blushing. "And it's not realistic. I would probably not get a lot of money out of that. It's safest to be a doctor."

"If you say so…" Suzu replied as she took a sip of her tea.

Kouko drank some of her hot coco, thinking about how glad she was to be back in Japan and happy that she was still with Suzu, hype to continue her life with her in their new house.

The couple finished their lunch and went to wait for their next plane, impatient to finally be home.

* * *

Kouko nervously put on her black kimono above a white layer, having some difficulties to tie it up. When she was done, she looked at herself in the mirror. A black kimono with a flower design representing red lily spiders. Suzu always said that this flower suited her. Kouko was worried that it may look a little bit mournful, black was the colour of sorrow and red spider lilies could symbolize death. It looked like an outfit for a funeral, not a wedding. She wasn't sure what she was thinking when she chose this kimono. To please Suzu perhaps? Would Suzu really like to see her dress like that at their own wedding? Kouko was starting to have doubts.

She took a deep breath to calm herself. What was done was done, she couldn't change it. She was going to wear that kimono no matter what, she just had to deal with it. Now was the time to focus on another detail: her hair.

Kouko brushed them with care, making sure they were all straight and tidy. Then she grabbed them in one hand and using hairpins she turned them in a clean and cute bun. She then put some foundation and some makeup. She then removed her glasses and put contact lenses instead, not without difficulties. She wasn't used to putting those in her eyes. After a couple of tries, she finally succeeded, but it felt weird to be able to see without her glasses. The feeling of the contact lenses in her eyes felt weird too. But she did like the result when she looked at herself in the mirror, and she hoped Suzu would too.

" _I'm getting married today._ "

At that thought, Kouko's heart started to race like crazy and she blushed heavily. She was going to marry Suzu today. She was waiting for that day for so long, she was anxious whether Suzu would live enough long to see that day. It looked like for once, God answered her prayer. They were both going to have the happiest day of their life and be bound by the sacred link of marriage, and hopefully, get to grow old together.

Kouko noticed the time. The wedding was soon, she had to get to the temple. Both she and Suzu stayed at different hotels so they wouldn't see their respective outfit before the wedding, they will discover it together when they will get married.

She finished to get ready and left the hotel, heading for the temple.

* * *

Kouko arrived at the temple a little earlier before the wedding and was waiting at the entrance. She was really nervous. Marriage was for most of the time the most important day in the life of a woman. She was scared that she might screw things up, judging by how clumsy she was. She knew how much Suzu was waiting for that day with impatience, she always dreamed to get married to the one she loved. Kouko wanted to be sure that today would be perfect, for Suzu's sake.

"Kouko-chan…"

Kouko jolted and turn back, before being dazed by what she witnessed. Suzu was standing next to her, in a white kimono with a red tulips motif on it. She had some makeup too but nothing too extravagant, and her hair was done in a traditional Japanese hairstyle. She looked absolutely stunning, Kouko was left speechless in front of her fiancée's beauty.

"Suzu… you're so beautiful."

"Hehe, thank you, Kouko-chan~" Suzu replied with a slight blush. "You're quite the beauty too, a real Japanese beauty. Traditional clothing does suit you well."

Kouko blushed at the compliment. She was glad Suzu liked her outfit, she was really worried she wouldn't.

"You look… more like a Japanese beauty than me. You even got… the traditional hairstyle."

"Oh, my hair? Pretty old-fashioned huh. Well, since I was a kid, I always wanted to have my hair like that for my wedding. It used to be pretty popular back in my day. I actually let my hair grow just for the occasion."

Kouko found it kind of adorable that Suzu put so much effort just to realize a dream she had since she was a kid. Despite how old and mature she was, she also had a childish side. She wanted to offer her the best day she could, yet she still had doubt.

"Are you really okay… with that kind of wedding? It's not even a ceremony, just a private officiation… It's only us…" Kouko said.

"Who else would have come? Your old organization? My relatives?" Suzu said in a gentle sarcastic tone.

"Hm… right. It's not like we have many friends here, all our acquaintance are in California."

"Besides, I prefer it that way. A want a quiet and peaceful wedding with my cute wife," Suzu said as she winked.

Kouko blushed even more, and before she could say anything else, the door suddenly opened and a man dressed as a priest came out.

"Oh, you're there," he said with a smile. "You can come in, I'm ready to officiate the wedding."

Both Suzu and Kouko looked at each other, nervous but eager, as they followed the priest inside the temple.

* * *

Suzu took a deep breath and sighed. Today was the day. She dreamed of that day since she was a little girl, to marry the one she loved. She was glad that she lived enough long to see that day, she had been worried that her illness would kill her before. But thanks to Kouko, she was cured now, maybe not in the best health, but able to age nonetheless. To grow old with her future wife, and just finally be happy with the one she loved.

The priest was waiting for them near the shrine. Suzu wasn't the type to be nervous, but she couldn't deny that she was a little bit stressed right now. She looked at Kouko, who seemed way more anxious than her. Softly, Suzu locked arms with her lover, smiling at her in a comforting way.

"It's going to be alright, Kouko-chan."

Kouko eventually cracked a smile, gently stroking Suzu's arm. They both looked so much calmer now, and confident.

"You may both come forward," the priest said.

Suzu and Kouko walked towards the priest and stopped when they reached him, facing each other.

"We are here today to unite those two women before the gods. I'll have the honour to officiate this union as celebrant and witness," the priest began to say. "You may say your vows."

Suzu softly took Kouko's hands in hers and looked tenderly in the eyes.

"Kouko-chan, I loved you the moment I set my eyes on you. I remembered our first day at school together when you said that you would be the 'leader of everything'. I remember thinking 'wow, this girl looks so cool'. I admired you so much for your diligence, your determination and your intelligence. But the more I knew you, the more I wanted to protect and comfort you when you're sad. I love your clumsiness, I think it's really cute, you're just the cutest girl I know. I want to spend to rest of my life and grow old with you, I could never be enough grateful for what you did for me. Thank you so much. I promise to love you and take care of you as your loving wife."

Kouko's eyes teared up a little, moved, as she couldn't help but smile with happiness.

"Suzu, each day I feel grateful to have met someone as wonderful as you. To be honest, I kind of find you weird the first time we met, you were quite clingy. But I came to be charmed by your maturity and your wiseness, I viewed you at first as a guide in my life, before I eventually fell in love with you. I enjoy every moment spent with you, you taught so many things, you helped me to have more confidence and respect for myself, and I would be eternally grateful for all you did for me. I just want a quiet life by your side where we can be happy together. I love you so much. I vow to look after you and protect you, and make sure you always have everything you need, as your beloved spouse."

A single tear roll on Suzu's cheek, overwhelmed by happiness, touched by those words. She quickly wiped it, smiling with joy.

"You may now exchange the rings," the priest said as he opened a little box containing two wedding rings.

Suzu and Kouko both took one ring. Suzu delicately took Kouko's hand and gently slipped the ring in her finger, which made her fiancée blushed. Kouko then did the same to Suzu and slipped the other ring in her finger, and another tear rolled on her cheek.

"Do you, Shutou Suzu, take this woman as your wife and promise to cherish her, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness or in health, for the rest of your life?"

"I do," Suzu replied with no hesitation.

"And you, Kaminaga Kouko, do you take this woman as your wife and promise to cherish her, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness or in health, for the rest of your life?"

Kouko wiped her teary eyes before answering.

"I do."

Suzu couldn't hold back her tears anymore and start crying.

"By the power vested in me, I declare you united by the sacred bond of marriage. You may now seal your union with a kiss," the priest said.

The two lovers got closer, and Kouko leaned down and kissed Suzu on the lips. A soft, chaste and warm kiss that express how deep their love for each other was. Suzu wished that this moment could last forever.

When they broke the kiss, Kouko gently wiped Suzu's tears away, before tenderly embracing her. Suzu's dream came true, she got to marry the person she loved, wearing a nice kimono in a temple.

But the dream was not over. Now she got to spend the rest of her life with her cute wife as a happily married couple, and she couldn't wish for anything better.

* * *

Kouko removed her lab coat and put it on the coat rack and exited her office, before locking the door. Another day of work finished, it was now time to go back home. Her wife was waiting for her.

She left the small building, the clinic she owned. She locked the front door and walked away, feeling satisfied by her work. She walked into the street, heading for her house. She looked around as she walked, enjoying the sight of the countryside. It was a small village, calm and peaceful, perfect for the two wives who wanted a fresh start and a quiet life together.

Kouko arrived in front of a reasonably large house, way too big for only two people. She walked towards the house and opened the door, and stepped inside. She removed her shoes and moved forward.

"Suzu? I'm home!"

"I'm here, Kouko-chan."

Kouko followed her wife's voice, which leaded her to the living room. She was surprised to discover what appeared to be a fort made of cushion, pillows and blankets. Kids were all around the place, and as soon as they saw Kouko stepping in the living room, they smiled and jumped on her.

"Kouko is back!" one of the kids shouted.

"Kouko-san, we missed you!"

"Come play with us!"

Kouko hugged them back fondly.

"Maybe later, okay? It's almost dinner time. Have you finish your homework?" Kouko asked.

The kids looked down and smiled or even whistled innocently.

"Go finish your homework. Work first, fun after," Kouko said, looking around to spot a specific kid. "Yuki, can you supervise them?"

A young girl with short blue hair, a little older than the other kids, the only one by herself, looked at Kouko and nodded.

"I will," Yuki said as she gestured the other kids to follow her.

Some of the kids pouted and sulk a little, but they obeyed and followed Yuki, leaving the living room. So, she heard Suzu's voice, but she didn't seem to be here. Unless…

Kouko got closer to the fort and lift the blanket.

"Hey there, Kouko-chan~"

Suzu was sitting inside the cushions fort, her hands tied up with a ribbon, smiling.

"Look like you had a lot of fun here," Kouko said.

"Well, the kids wanted to play war, and I got captured. I'm currently a war prisoner."

"Oh no, my wife got captured, what am I going to do?"

"Hehe, save me perhaps?"

Kouko smiled and kneel down, to untied Suzu. She then sat down with her, enjoying the comfort of the fort.

"How was work today?" Suzu asked.

"Hm, good, but a little stressful. I had to take care of someone who got a crayon stuck in their nose."

"How did it happen?"

"No idea, he didn't want to tell me. There must have some embarrassing story behind this. Well, it's not my job to find out, I'm only here to heal people."

"Kouko-chan, so diligent as always~"

"And you, how was your day?"

"Oh, well I schooled the kids, I taught them Japan history. They seemed pretty interested in the wars, so after school, they decided to play war. And I ended up captured as you already know. Sorry, I just thought they needed a break before doing their homework."

"It's okay, they are kids, after all, they need to have some fun."

Suzu got closer to Kouko and suddenly stole her a kiss, a chaste and tender kiss on the lips.

"A kiss for my saviour~" Suzu teased.

Kouko blushed a little, before adjusting her glasses.

"A-Anyway, I'm quite hungry, I didn't have much time to eat today," Kouko said.

"Ah, I'll go prepare dinner! You must be tired, just relax until I'm done, okay?"

"I will," Kouko said as she kissed back Suzu.

Suzu smiled as she left the fort, heading for the kitchen. Kouko remained in the fort for a moment, thinking about her life with Suzu as she gazed at her wedding ring. They moved to this village, Kouko got a job at the local clinic, and after the owner retired she became the new owner. She was now the main doctor of the village, with a decent salary. Well enough to provide for her rather large family.

They both learned that some of the kids from Kouko's old organization were homeless after the group got dismantled. Kouko felt like it was her responsibilities to take care of them, so with Suzu, they opened an orphanage for those kids, helping them to find loving families or taking care of them until they are old enough. They welcomed other kids in need of love too, and Suzu was the one in charge of teaching them and take care of them, while Kouko offered her support when she was free.

Kouko left the fort and went to retrieve her sketchbook, before sitting down on the armchair. She opened it and grabbed a pencil. She liked to draw in her free time, it helped her to relax. It also gave her confidence in herself. Suzu kept telling her how much good of an artist she was, it was good for her self-esteem. She always been good with a pencil, she was the best back at her old orphanage to draw blueprints, she always had a talent for that. Drawing may be different than blueprints, but she was skillful with a pencil, to use models and copy them on paper.

She spotted the bouquet of flowers on the coffee table. Suzu really liked flowers, she was quite knowledgeable about their meaning and never missed an occasion to teach Kouko about those, she brought back various flowers at home. But today's flowers made Kouko's nostalgic. Red spider lilies. Pretty hard to draw, but Kouko was confident in her skills. She started to draw them in her sketchbook, sketching them at first before adding more details, making sure she drew the petals right. She drew them for a while, it was a pleasant task to do, and she was really proud of herself.

"Dinner is ready!" Suzu suddenly exclaimed. "Kouko-chan, kids, you can come!"

Kouko took a look at her drawing. She might colour it later. She closed her sketchbook and put it on the coffee table. She glanced at the flowers and smiled, happy that she got to meet Suzu again after Class Black. It was a big coincidence that brought them both their respective wishes, Kouko to be free and Suzu to be cured.

Kouko headed for the kitchen, thinking about how fate brought them together, and that perhaps, there was really a benevolent God watching over them and allowing them to be happy.

* * *

 **Writing such a happy, positive and optimistic chapter was so hard for me! I'm not used to writing characters being happy xD**

 **So for the wedding, it was a mix of Shinto and Christian traditions, since I headcanon Suzu as Shinto (old Japanese religion) and Kouko is pretty much implied to be Christian. I just thought both types of weddings were beautiful and would fit SuzuKou.**

 **If you want to see the drawing I made of Suzu and Kouko's wedding go see the AO3 version.**

 **Perfect chapter to end this fic, of a positive and hopeful note... but unfortunately, I still have one chapter left to write, so seeya next time!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi there! So this is the final chapter for my SuzuKou fic, yay! I just want to warn you, if you think chapter 5 was a perfect ending, then you can stop there. This chapter is unnecessary, you can view it as an "alternate ending" and chapter 5 as the true ending. But if you're curious to see how I wanted to truly end this story, then go ahead and read chapter 6. But you have been warned.**

* * *

The weather was warm today, yet so too humid. There was a comfortable breeze that was quite refreshing, little birds singing, a really sunny and beautiful day. Sitting on the terrace were Suzu and Kouko, enjoying the pretty day to play shogi outside. They could feel the wind in their hair, the sun on their skin, and smell the flowers in the garden next to them. Suzu was enjoying the sight of the garden, before focusing back on the game. It was her turn to play. She examined the game board, impressed by Kouko's game. Truly, her wife had gotten better at shogi. It really showed how much she practiced during all those years. Out of all the time they played, Kouko's victories could be count on the fingers of one hand. Suzu took one of her pieces and moved it.

"You have been getting better at shogi, I'm proud of you," Suzu said with a smile.

"Please, don't treat me like one of your grandchildren," Kouko replied, prideful as she moved one of her pieces.

Suzu chuckled a little. Her wife was truly the most adorable in her eyes. She was glad she got to grow older with her, those past decades had been the happiest in her long life. She enjoyed every single day with Kouko, their life was all she had even dreamed for, and she wished it would continue like that for more years. They were old now, but not that old. They still had some time left together.

"How's the job these days?" Suzu asked.

"Tiresome, it feels like each day any tasks seem for exhausting than the day before," Kouko replied.

"Have you considered retiring? You're not that young anymore."

"I'm not that old either, I can still work!"

"All those years you did a good job, you deserve to retire and just relax, have a break and enjoy life… with me."

Suzu had pronounced those last words with some pain in her voice. She loved her life with Kouko, but her wife was often busy with her work, and now that Suzu had retired since their fosters kids were adults (one of them took over the orphanage), she was all alone at home most of the days. She missed Kouko, she wanted to pass more time with her, just like a normal elderly couple. Suzu wanted to spend as much time as she could with her wife, she wanted to live her life with no regret.

"I feel alone at home when you work, I wish we could spend more time," Suzu added.

"I… wish that too, I want to be with you more. But my work…"

"You always been so diligent and hardworking, this is why I love you so much. But you don't know when to stop, you're a workaholic."

"I mean… I just want to give to the community, I want to help others."

"I know, but what about giving to me? You have other doctors working with you, younger, that would gladly take your place and continue your work."

"You… you're probably right," Kouko said with some shame in her eyes. "I'll think about it."

Suzu softly smiled, trusting her wife. After all, Kouko always keeps her words. When she says she'll do something, she does it. Suzu moved one piece and Kouko moved hers, and as a smirk appeared on her lips Suzu realized she made a mistake. But it was too late now, it was over and Kouko's smile turned victorious.

"Checkmate," Kouko declared, almost grinning.

Suzu remained shocked. She looked at the board, trying to find a way out, a loophole, anything, but there was nothing. Her king was surrounded, there was no escape, she was screwed. All she could do was accept defeat. She raised her head and smiled softly.

"You won, Kouko-chan."

"Yes!" Kouko replied excitedly.

Suzu giggled. Kouko looked so childish right now, it was adorable to see. She really did improve in shogi, she looked so proud of herself. Suzu wanted to carve this image in her head, to never forget it and treasure this memory.

Suzu felt some weird salty and metallic taste in her throat, followed by a sudden pain in her chest. She started to cough and brought her hand closer to her mouth.

"Suzu? What's going on? Is losing to me making you sick?" Kouko tried to joke while still looking worried.

Suzu closed her eyes and continued to cough before she spat something on her hand. She opened her eyes and remained shocked when she saw her hand, and so was Kouko.

"Is… is that blood?!" Kouko exclaimed.

There was a bloodstain on Suzu's hand. She continued to cough, feeling blood in her throat spilling from her mouth. Kouko immediately rose up and rushed towards her wife, helping her to get up.

"I'm bringing you to the hospital," Kouko said, panicked yet controlling herself.

Suzu was starting to feel weak, Kouko had to help her to remain on her feet. They walked away from the house and before going inside their car, Suzu glanced at the flowers, thinking about how well the day started, wondering why something like that had to happen.

* * *

"So, doctor, how am I? Is it serious?" Suzu asked with some tease in her voice, yet worries in her eyes.

Kouko could see that Suzu was trying to make this situation funnier than it actually was. She was trying to keep a light and optimistic mood, but deep down she knew how severe the situation was. Kouko clenched her teeth as she looked at the result of the test, not even able to look at her wife.

"Your internal organs… are slowly collapsing. It's like they had suddenly aged quickly, you are… biologically much older than you should be," Kouko said.

"Oh…"

Suzu looked down like she had some difficulties digesting what she just learned.

"And how… are you going to treat me?" Suzu asked.

Kouko remained silent for a moment, looking away.

"I… I don't think I can treat you, not at this stage, your body wouldn't support any more surgery… all I can do is try to keep you alive and reduce the pain."

"Ah."

Suzu looked hurt by this reveal before she smiled softly with sadness in her eyes.

"At least I'll be able to be with you more," Suzu said.

Kouko got closer to her wife and sat by her side, softly putting a hand on her shoulder.

"I'll stay with you, I'll take care of you, I'll be your personal doctor. I talked with my assistant, she'll take care of the hospital, so I'm free to be with you, I won't leave you alone anymore."

Kouko's eyes started to be teary. It was all her fault. She had been so busy with her job that she neglected Suzu, she should have spent more time with her, maybe she would have noticed symptoms. It literally took her wife to almost die for her to finally decide to give her more attention. And now she was slowly dying and there was nothing she could do other than make it less painful. She wished she would have quit her job sooner and simply enjoy a quiet life with Suzu, but now it was too late. Death was at the door, ready to take away once again someone she loved, and once more it was her fault.

"Is it… related to the Highlander Syndrome?" Suzu asked.

"Not totally… you are definitely cured of that illness, you can grow old, but it seems that… some effect of the illness remained and just took a while before taking effect."

"I see… the doctor told me it would make my body collapse at some point, looked like I couldn't escape that fate… but at least I got to grow old, and I'm not dead yet. I'm glad that it didn't kill me instantly as it should have, it's thanks to you. At least I got to spend whatever I have left with you by my side, it's not so bad."

Tears started to roll on Kouko's eyes, she could no longer hold them.

"I'm sorry Suzu, it's all my fault! I should have spent more time with you, I should have been more careful with your illness! I shouldn't have been careless and neglect you like that, if I had done a better job at curing you you might not have those effects now! I should have retired and just be with you…"

"Kouko-chan…"

Suzu stretched an arm and gently wiped away Kouko's tears, smiling kindly.

"Nothing was your fault. You actually cured me, you couldn't have known there would have repercussions decades later. And even if you had retired, I would have still ended up sick. It's not too late, you still have time to be with me, we still have time left together. So let's not waste it with cries and sadness, let's try to be the happiest we could for the time left."

Tears continued to roll on Kouko's cheeks until she wiped them away, forcing herself to smile.

"You're right, we still have time left. I'll do my best to allow you to live the longest you can, so we can be together. I won't neglect you anymore, I promise. I'll be with you… until the end."

Suzu continued to smile, with a bittersweet look in her golden eyes as she gently caressed Kouko's cheek. Kouko stroke her hand and closed her eyes for a moment, simply focusing on her wife's warmth against her skin. She then opened her eyes and leaned, softly pressing her lips against Suzu's and delicately kissing her wife. She gently ran a hand through her blue hair as Suzu continued to touch her cheek, kissing like it might be their last time kissing.

But Kouko was determined to make it as it won't be their last one and intended to have many more as long as she can prevent Suzu's inevitable death.

* * *

Kouko rushed towards Suzu's hospital room, nearly pushing anyone in her way. Her heart was beating so fast that it seemed like it was going to come out from her chest and she was sweating from all that running. She nearly tripped when she arrived in front of the room and brusquely turned and stepped inside, heavily panting.

"Suzu!?"

Her wife was laying on her bed, weakly turning her head when she saw Kouko entered and softly smiled.

"Kouko-chan… finally, you're here. We're waiting for you."

Kouko noticed that they weren't alone, a couple of their foster kids were present, looking sad.

"I'm sorry, I was at the grocery store when the doctor called me," Kouko said as she rushed towards her wife to be by her side.

Suzu looked awful. Her skin was terribly pale, she had deep dark circles under her eyes and she looked like she had lost a lot of weight. Suzu's body had deteriorated those last few years. But despite her sad state, she was smiling.

"I'm glad you're here with me… I didn't want to go without seeing you one last time," Suzu said.

"I'm here! I promise you, that I would be with you until the end. The doctor told me everything, that you're…"

"Yes, this looks like it's the end," Suzu said with a sad smile.

"Does it hurt?" Kouko asked with concerns.

"No, I'm fine. Not with the pills the doctor gave me."

Kouko sat down and gently took Suzu's hand, softly caressing it.

"You always keep your words huh," Suzu teased. "So diligent, I always loved that part of you."

"For you, if I promise to break the moon in half I would do it."

"Hehe, no need to go that far, just be by my side and hold my hand," Suzu said as she gripped Kouko's hand tighter.

"I'm here with you, I won't leave, I'll stay with you!"

Even if she was still smiling, Kouko could see fright in Suzu's eyes.

"I must admit that… I'm kind of scared. Is death painful? How is it to die? What's the afterlife look like? Or is it even one to begin with? Can I see those I lose again? Will I go to Heaven of Hell?"

Suzu's hand started to shiver a little and Kouko immediately took it with her other hand, holding it tightly.

"It's going to be okay, you don't have to be scared. I'm here, just focus on me. And there's no way someone as good as you would go to hell, you'll go to heaven, you'll be reunited with everyone you loved. This is not the end."

Suzu smirked when she heard that last sentence.

"Death is not the end of life, it's the completion of life," Suzu said. "I can't say I'm not satisfied with my life. I always wanted to die of old age, just like a normal person. I lived way longer than I should have, I got to know you, be with you, married you, have a family with you. I could never be more grateful to you for everything you brought to me. You allowed me to live a couple more years, and now I get to go with my family and my wife by my side. What more could a woman ask for?"

Fully realizing what was about to happen, tears started to form in Kouko's eyes, rolling on her cheeks.

"Please Kouko-chan, don't cry. It may be selfish to ask you that, but I want to see you smile. This is the last time I'll ever see you. I want to leave while seeing your beautiful smiling face."

Kouko tried to hold back her tears and smile, but she couldn't. And she didn't want to force a smile, she knew that wasn't what Suzu wanted to see. She had to smile naturally, and for that, she needed to be happy. Hard to be in those conditions but she tried. She remembered all those happy moments she had with Suzu, all those fun memories. Their first kiss, all those times they hugged and held hands, those intimate moments, living together, running the orphanage, their wedding. Remembering all those good memories made Kouko genuinely smile, but her eyes were still teary.

"We had a good life together, didn't we?" Kouko said.

"We sure did, I couldn't have a better life than the one I had with you. Thank you for everything, Kouko-chan."

Tears continued to roll on Kouko's cheeks but she continued to smile happily. Suzu's eyes became teary too as they started to close like she was starting to be tired or losing her strength.

"I love you, Suzu. Forever and ever."

Tears started to roll on Suzu's cheek yet she looked truly happy, and her grip became weaker.

"... I… love you too… Kouko…"

Suzu took a deep breath and closed her eyes, and her hand became limp. She was still smiling happily, but her body was now inert. Kouko felt her heart stopping for a moment and pressed two fingers on Suzu's wrist, looking for a pulse. Tears rolled even more when she discovered that she had no pulse.

Suzu was dead.

Her wife was gone.

"... Suzu…?"

Obviously she received no answer. Suzu was dead, yet she was smiling so happily, she almost looked like she was sleeping peacefully. An eternal sleep where she will no longer suffer, an eternal peace. It was the completion of her life.

Kouko leaned on her wife and softly kissed her forehead, before gently stroking her cheek, still forcing herself to smile and remain strong.

"Goodbye, Suzu, may you rest in peace."

Kouko's lips began to shiver, she tried to hold up her tears but she couldn't resist anymore. She burst into tears, crying with no restraint as she held to her wife's body, tears streaming on her face. She continued to cry her lover's death, hugging her as if she didn't want her to go away, but it was in vain.

Suzu was gone, leaving Kouko alone with all those sweet memories they shared together.

* * *

Dark clouds were covering the sky and sun, menacing to pour rains at any moment. But despite that risk, there was no way Kouko could have stayed at home today. Today was a special day, she had somewhere to go, someone to see. It was a special anniversary.

All dressed in black, Kouko was walking among the gravestones, holding a bouquet of flowers. She wanded in the graveward until she found the one she was looking for.

Facing the gravestones, Kouko read what was written on it: Shutou Suzu, Death isn't the end of life, it's the competition of life. Kouko smiled softly when she read the dates. Suzu was nearly 200 years old when she died, anyone who saw the grave and didn't know her would be confused and think it was a mistake. But Kouko wanted the gravestone to be accurate, to fully honour Suzu's life, she didn't care if others who see the grave thought it was an error.

"Hi, Suzu. It had been one year since you left us. There wasn't one day I didn't think about you. I miss you so much."

After Suzu's death, Kouko took a break from her job, before going back, trying to bury herself in work to forget about her grief. But her colleagues convinced her to finally retired and, remembering what her wife wanted, Kouko decided to finally stop and go on a permanent vacation. Kouko spent months on her own, mourning Suzu's departure, before spending time with her foster kids and at the orphanage, meeting the new children, her "grandkids". It brought some joy in her life, meanings, and helped her go through her bereavement. It reminded her that she wasn't alone, she still had a family, people that loved her.

"The kids are going fine, they miss you too. I did as you told me, I retired. I have more time for my family now," Kouko said before she looked at the bouquet of flowers she was holding, all red. "I brought you flowers, red tulips and red spider lilies. Our wedding flowers. I know red spider lilies are your favourite, but mine are red tulips. I love their meaning, you're the one you taught me about it. 'Declaration of love' you told me… they are proof of my love for you. You were so beautiful in that kimono, red tulips really suit you."

Kouko took few steps towards the gravestone and put the bouquet in front, before softly stroking the stone and brushing with the tip of her fingers the name carved, looking up.

"I hope you're happy up there. I'll stick on Earth for a little longer, enjoy life like you wanted me to, and one day, I'll come to join you and we'll be reunited again. You could introduce me to this special person you had in the past. Though I might get a little bit jealous."

Kouko chuckled, her eyes starting to get wet as it started to rain a little.

"I wished we could have more time together. We did had a long life together, but I can't help but feel like it wasn't enough. We could have lived so much more together. I thought God was on our side but it seemed once again he failed me. God is cruel, isn't he? Maybe he just hates me. Well, he still allowed us to be together for decades, so I suppose I can't be too mad at him… especially if I want to get in Heaven."

The rain was pouring down. Tears roll on Kouko's cheeks, mixing with the rains. But she remained smiling because she knew Suzu wouldn't want to see her sad. Kouko wiped out her tears, but the rain continued to pour.

"I'll live the rest of my life to the fullest, and when my time will arrive, I'll come to join you," Kouko declared.

 _"I'll be waiting for you, Kouko-chan."_

Kouko jolted and looked around. She was alone in the cemetery, alone with her memories of Suzu. She smiled to herself, understanding what was happening.

"So you're watching over me from up there, Suzu. You're like my guardian angel, I'm sure white wings and an aureole suits you."

It suddenly stopped raining, some clouds moving out of the sun's way, allowing for its light to reach Kouko. She looked at the bouquet, especially the red spider lilies.

 _"Do you remember their meaning, Kouko-chan?"_

Kouko remembered perfectly, how could she have forgotten after the countless time Suzu told her? Those were exactly the words Kouko wanted to tell Suzu, parting words before leaving, what they both were thinking right now.

" _I'm looking forward to meeting you again._ "

* * *

 **I'm so sorry. I actually cried while writing this chapter. I find that kind of death really beautiful and moving.**

 **I actually didn't know at first how to end this story, but someone told me when they read the title that they felt like one of them was going to die and it gave me that idea. I didn't kill Suzu for shock value but because I genuinely think it was the right way to end her story arc. Suzu's wish was to be cured and die of old age, and I made her wish a reality. This fic allowed both girls to have their wish granted and be happy together.**

 **'I'm looking forward to meeting you again' was the other title I thought for this fic and I'm glad I was able to use it to end this story. I think it was the perfect way to end.**

 **I hope you liked this chapter and thank you for following this fic! Have a nice day!**


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